Apparatus for smoking or curing foodstuffs



P 1935- J. ROBINSO'N 2,013,479

APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 3, 1935. J. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 IROB/NSO/V.

Sept. 3, 1935. J. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1933 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 P 1935- .1. ROBINSON 2,013, 479

APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 JROG/N50N. men 70A 77777W77fi/A 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1953 F 1g. icon/f A 7 T O/P/VEKY.

p 1935- J. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS Filed May 4, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 llllllllllllllllllllllllllll Ilfi u Fig.9.-

/N VE N TOR A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR SMOKING OR CURING FOODSTUFFS James Robinson, West Bridgford, Nottingham, England Application May 4, 1933, Serial No. 669,412 In Great Britain May 7, 1932 4 Claims.

This invention is concerned with apparatus for smoking or curing fish or other food stufis and has for an object to provide apparatus in which such a process may be carried out expeditiously, efficiently, and with the expenditure of the minimum amount of manual labour. Therefore this invention provides apparatus for smoking or curing fish or other foodstufis comprising in combination a smoking chamber, smoke producing means for supplying smoke thereto, and means for conveying foodstuffs to be smoked progressively through said chamber.

An embodiment of the invention incorporating these and other features in combination is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a part-sectional plan of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a part-sectional elevation of the same apparatus, the section being taken on two planes for clearness.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of that end of the apparatus at which the fish or the like is delivered from the smoke chamber.

Figure 4 shows a rear view, further enlarged, of the lower part of the apparatus shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the apparatus also enlarged looking in the direction indicated by arrow X in Figure 3, the upper part of the apparatus being shown in section.

Figure 6 is a part-sectional detail, still further enlarged, showing a method of constructing the main conveyor.

Figure 7 shows in vertical section a suitable smoke-producer for use with the apparatus.

Figure 8 is an external view of the smoke producer.

Figure 9 shows in section a suitable smokeregulating valve.

In one method of carrying out the invention the apparatus comprises an elongated chamber or compartment I within which the fish or other foodstuff is smoked or cured, said chamber being preferably of considerable length (for example from 60 to 100 feet). Extending alongside the smoking chamber I and conveniently along the whole of its length is a second chamber or compartment 2 which constitutes a smoke reservoir, said reservoir 2 advantageously communicating with the smoking chamber I, substantially centrally in its length, by a passage or passages 3. The two ends of said smoke reservoir 2 are closed and communicate with a high velocity motor or other driven fan 4. Each fan 4 also communicates with the adjacent end of the smoking chamber I and functions to draw smoke from the reservoir 2 and blow same mixed with a suitable quantity of air into the two ends of the smoking chamber I. The smoke reservoir 2 also com- 5 municates with one or more smoke producers 5 advantageously by means of a pipe 6 which branches into two other pipes 'I, which latter communicate with the smoke reservoir 2 by openings 8 located a suitable distance one at each side 10 of the aforesaid central passage 3 between chamhers I and 2. The arrangement is such that smoke from the producer or producers 5 entering the reservoir 2 is drawn to each end of said reservoir by the two fans 4 which force said smoke into the two ends of the smoking chamber I, said fans operating to circulate the smoke from the reservoir 2 into each end of the smoking chamber I and back again into the reservoir through the central passage 3.

During the circulation of smoke as above-described the fish or the like is continuously and progressively traversed along and through the smoking chamber I. This is conveniently accomplished by providing an endless conveyor 9 which passes over suitably-designed wheels or drums I0 at each end of the apparatus, one of said wheels or drums being mounted on a drive shaft II which is directly or indirectly driven from a motor or other power source. The upper part of the conveyor 9 travels through the smoking chamber I, while the lower half or part of said conveyor extends beneath said conveyor and runs upon a plate or other support I2 which is carried by a series of hanging brackets or pedestals 85 I3 or other convenient means. The brackets I3 are also advantageously provided with lateral branch portions I4 which constitute supports for the smoking or curing chamber I. Conveniently the conveyor 9 is led into and out of the smoking chamber I through downwardly-inclined branch portions I5, the chamber I being extended beyond said branch portions I5 to the two fans 4. These extensions I6 at each end of the chamber I may be formed as separately connected portions and advantageously converge in I plan from the fan to the chamber, as shown in Figure 1. The base of each end extension I6 of the chamber I may be provided with a plurality of traps II into which are deposited the tarry products generated in the making of the smoke and extracted by the centrifugal speed of the fans, said products being deposited before reaching the fish or the like in the smoking chamber.

The mixture of smoke and air circulated through the smoking chamber l is advantageously heated before entering the intake of the fans 4 by hot water, steam or equivalent heating devices in the reservoir 2. Conveniently the heating is effected by passing the smoke mixture through two steam heaters indicated at E8 in Figure 1, the temperature being automatically controlled by thermostatic valves. It will be appreciated that the smoke introduced at each end of the smoking chamber and withdrawn at the centre produces a comparatively dense smoke zone about the centre part-of the chamber and- "with the smoking chamber 5 but on a lower level.

This conveyor "3 travels'through a cooling chamher 2! into which is introduced a current of air from a suitable fan 22 (Figure 2), the air being introduced at the end of the chamber 21 opposite to that at which the fish enter so that the fish are caused to travel against the air current.

From the cooling chamber H the fish or'the like are delivered, cured, smoked, cooled and ready for packing.

Any'suitable'means are employed for imparting the requisite drive to the small cross belt i9 and to the conveyor 2&3 within the cooling chamber 2!. For example'a'n endless chain 23 passing over a chain wheel 2 on the maindrive shaft I also passes over 'a chain'wheel 25 on the shaft 26' appertaining to one of the rollers or the like 21 over which the endless conveyor 20 passes (see Figures 4 and 5). The driving chain 23 may also pass over a further chain wheel 28"on--a spindle 29' carrying a'bevel wheel 3i! which meshes with a further bevel wheel 3i'mounted on a shaft 32 carrying one of the end rollers or the like 33' over whichpasses the short cross belt 19 Thus it will be seen that drive is transmitted from the main shaft H to the main fishconveyor 9, the cross belt 19 and cooler belt 20,and

by determining the diameters of the various chain wheels, the relative speed of traverse'of the several belts or conveyors can also be variably determined to suit existing requirements, such speed being to a certain extent governed by the type of fish or the like to be cured and the climatic conditions.

The main conveyor 9 is advantageously of a mesh chain type, and a convenient construction of chain is shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 6. Each side of the conveyor may be composed of a series of fiat-sectioned links 34 arranged in pairs, alternate pairs of said links 34 being disposed closer together than those of the remaining alternate pairs so that the ends of the closer disposed links are accommodated between the ends of the remaining links. These links. are mounted upon sleeves or collars 35, 36; one of said sleeves loosely encircling the other and on both sleeves loosely encircling a reduced portion 37, formed at each end of each of a series of cross pins 38 constituting hinge pins of the con- -veyor.--The link sleeves 35, -36 are maintained upon the reduced ends 31 of the hinge pins 38 by split or other pins 39 or their equivalent and a washer 40. The body portion of the conveyor is composed of parallelly-disposed wires 4| which are curled round the pins 38 at their extremities, the wires M appertaining to any one hinged section of the conveyor extending out of alignment with the wire appertaining to the adjoining hinged section. At each end of each of the hinge pins 38 of the conveyor and loosely encircling the sleeve 35 is a roller 52, which rollers run upon the base of the smoking chamber l and also on the supporting member l2 beneath same during the traverse of the conveyor. Advantageously the conveyor rollers 42 coact with partcircular recesses 43 in the wheels or drums H] on the-drive shaft It so as to transmit the requisite drive to the conveyor.

Conveniently the smoke for circulation through the chamber I and reservoir 2 is produced in and delivered from'two'producers indicated at'5 '(Figure 1). Any suitableformnf producer may be employed and one convenient construction is illustrated in Figures? and-8. This producer comprises a vertically disposed"cylindricalchamber 4, firebrick lined, with fire bars 4i: near its base and a smoke outletdt which communicates with the aforesaid pipe '6, 'a fuel hopper 31 at the upper part of the furnace closed by hinged door 38, the wood waste or other fuelintroducedinto said hopper being admitted to the furnace by way of a hinged door 49' which isopened' and closed by manipulation of an external hand-lever 5!) which is preferably counter-weighted normally to maintain thedoor closed.

The introduction of smoke to the reservoir? is governed by a pair of smoke valves 51; and one convenient construction of valve is shown inFigure 9. Such valve comprises a casing 52 having two chambers-53, 54 and valve seating 55 between same, the smoke entering at the part 56' and-issuing at 5T; Coacting with the valve seating 55'is a valve' 58 carried by stem 59 and screwing into an internally-threaded boss'or sleevefifl at the upper part of the-valve,'the axial displacement of the valve for opening and'closing the passage between the two chambers 53, 54 being effected by turning the wheel 5 l'.' Thevalve' spindle'is maintained steady in its motion' by passing same the smoking chamber l same is immersed '-in brine, and this'may be accomplished by placing the fish or the like'on a conveyor whichtravels through "a brine container at a-regulated speed so as to ensure that the fish is immersed in the brine for the requiredperiod;

It is to be understood that the particular-construction'of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be varied inmany ways within the scope of the-invention. For example, instead of blowing the smoke'into the smoking chamber at the-eXtremeends thereof as before- I trays or the like'connected'to-travelling bands or chains may be so constructed and arranged as to supportthefish or the like at a suitable'an'gleto the flow of the smoke, it being understood that said racks or trays are constructed to permit free access of smoke to both the upper and underside of the fish during the traverse thereof.

It will be appreciated that the operation of apparatus as previously described can be continued for lengthy periods without necessitating any interruption of the process for the purpose of replenishing the smoking chamber.

I claim:-

1. Apparatus for smoking foodstufis comprising an elongated smoke-chamber, a travelling conveyor which enters said chamber at one end and reappears at the other for carrying the foodstuifs progressively through said chamber from end to end thereof, a smoke conduit extending externally of the chamber and communicating therewith at each end thereof and at an intermediate point, a smoke producer for supplying smoke to the chamber and conduit, and means for circulating smoke through the chamber by way of the intermediate opening and the opposed ends of the chamber.

2. Apparatus for treating fish or other foodstuffs with smoke, comprising a lengthy smoke-chamber of flattened form to closely embrace a travelling belt-like conveyor, a downwardly inclined branch adjacent to each end of said chamber, a travelling belt-like conveyor for transporting the foodstuffs through the smoke chamber one lap of which conveyor passes up one such branch into the chamber, along the latter and out at the other branch, guides for guiding the lap in its passage as specified, a fan at each end of said chamber, means for driving the two fans, a smoke conduit extending exteriorly of the chamber from fan to fan whereby a closed path is formed through the two fans, the smoke chamber, and said conduit, which said conduit also communicates with the smoke chamber at a medial point in the length thereof, means for supplying smoke to said conduit, and means for driving the fans to force smoke towards the said medial point.

3. Apparatus for treating fish and other foodstuffs with smoke, comprising an elongated smoke chamber shaped to embrace closely a conveyor travelling therethrough, a downwardly inclined branch, adjacent to each end of said chamber, a travelling belt-like conveyor for transporting the foodstuffs through the chamber, which conveyor passes up one such branch into the chamber, guides for guiding the conveyor, a fan at each end of the chamber, a smoke conduit extending exteriorly of the chamber from fan to fan, which conduit communicates with the chamber at the ends and at an intermediate point also, means for supplying smoke, and means for driving the fans to circulate the smoke through the chamber, conduit, and the intermediate point of communication.

4. Apparatus for smoking foodstuifs comprising an elongated smoke chamber, an endless conveyor traversing said chamber and closely embraced thereby, a smoke conduit extending externally of the chamber and communicating therewith at each end thereof and at an intermediate point, a smoke producer for supplying smoke to the chamber conduit, and means for circulating smoke through the chamber by way of the intermediate opening and the opposed ends of the chamber.

' JAMES ROBINSON. 

